Virgin Atlantic Airways will add the daily London Heathrow – São Paulo Guarulhos route starting on May 13, 2024.
Virgin Atlantic to add the London Heathrow to São Paulo Guarulhos route
Monthly Archives: August 2023
ANA announces updates to the FY2023 flight schedule
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced updates to its flight schedule for fiscal year 2023 (FY2023). Beginning December 6, all roundtrips on the Narita-Honolulu route will be operated by the specially painted “FLYING HONU” Airbus A380 aircraft featuring Hawaiian inspired sea turtles. ANA will offer the most seat capacity on its Honolulu routes in its history, exceeding pre-COVID levels.
- Beginning on December 6th, ANA will increase frequency on the Tokyo Narita – Honolulu route once again, from 10 weekly roundtrip flights to 14.
- ・All double daily flights are planned to operate on the Airbus A380 “FLYING HONU” aircraft, and ANA will offer the most seat capacity on its Honolulu routes in its history, exceeding pre-COVID levels.
A summary of the recent update concerning the international flight schedule is given below.
Schedule for October 29, 2023 – March 30, 2024:
- *1 No operation on 12/3 and 12/5. Flights on 12/4 will be operated.
- *2 For flights departing from overseas, the dates of the implementation are the following day.
- *3 For flights to/from Haneda airport, please check the ANA Application or website for departure and arrival terminals (Terminal 2 or 3).
11 people taken to a hospital after ‘severe turbulence’ on Delta flight before landing in Atlanta, airline says
American Airlines flight attendants approve strike authorization with 99.47% Yes vote
AFA issued this statement:
Today, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) announced the results of members’ vote to authorize a strike if American Airlines refuses to agree to reasonable contract terms. 99.47% of Flight Attendants voted yes to authorize a strike, with93% of eligible Flight Attendants participating.
“Flight Attendants are sending a clear message to American Airlines management: Flight Attendants are fired up and ready for a contract. They ignore this strike vote at their peril,” said Julie Hedrick, National President of APFA and a Flight Attendant. “Our contributions to the success of American Airlines must be respected.”
Thousands of Flight Attendants picket in twelve cities nationwide today to make their frustration known. Carrying picket signs that say “We Are Ready!” and wearing their red WAR pins, they demand that contract negotiations – which the Company has dragged on for more than four years – come to a hasty close with a deal that honors the role of the Flight Attendant. This new contract should contain improvements to quality of life and a raise in pay that Flight Attendants say could not be a moment too soon, with skyrocketing inflation and a job that is harder than ever in the face of additional work duties, difficult scheduling, and passenger aggression.
Conducting a strike authorization vote is an important step toward striking, as outlined by Section 6 of the Railway Labor Act. Contract negotiations with American Airlines have not yet produced a Collective Bargaining Agreement that includes the improvements to pay and quality of life that Flight Attendants need to see.
If American Airlines and APFA cannot reach an agreement in federal mediation, the union could request to be released into a thirty-day cooling-off period, after which 26,000+ American Airlines Flight Attendants would be free to strike the world’s largest carrier.
With the strike vote announced just days before Labor Day, American Airlines management is on notice that Flight Attendants are joining other workers across the county and demanding change. “It was Labor that built this great country, and now it’s off the backs of labor that corporate greed makes its money,” said Julie Hedrick, National President of APFA and a Flight Attendant. “APFA members today sent a strong message to the Company– we are unified and long overdue for a new contract. We are ready and willing to do what it takes.”
China Eastern Airlines to open direct flights between Shanghai and Istanbul on September 28
China Eastern Airlines has announced that it will launch a new direct flight between Shanghai and Istanbul starting from September 28, 2023.
This marks the first time a Chinese airline has operated a route between China and Turkiye, connecting the two globally renowned cities and important aviation hubs.
The flight numbers for the Shanghai-Istanbulroute will be MU703/704, with three weekly flights. Departing from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 01:30 Beijing time on each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, the flight will arrive at Istanbul Airport at 08:30 local time. The return flights will leave Istanbul Airport at 14:00 local time on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and land at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 05:30 Beijing time the following day.
The new Monarch unveils its new livery and brand
Monarch Airlines Limited (2nd) has unveiled its livery and revived M logo.
The new ownership is emphasizing its long history under the old leadership:
Monarch Airlines began operating in 1968 and was aimed at ordinary families and was founded with the express intent of transporting British holidaymakers.Fast-forward 55 years and we still hold the same Great-British values close to our crown, which has taken on a new and dynamic look but which still symbolises everything we stand for.
The new Monarch Airlines is in discussions to lease upwards of 15 Airbus aircraft including A319s and A320s.
The new entity is targeting 2024 to start operations after it acquires a new AOC.
Cirium reveals true scale of ATC disruption on UK flights
From aviation analytics firm, Cirium:
As the effects of the ATC outage continue to be felt across the industry, Cirium have revealed the true scale of cancellations as of 9am today:
28 August:
- 799 flights were cancelled departing UK airports– equivalent to around 27% of all departures
- 786 flights were cancelled arriving into UK airports – equivalent to around 27% of all arrivals
- Heathrow saw the highest number of cancellations, followed by Gatwick and Manchester.
29 August
- 182 flights were cancelled departing UK airports yesterday – equivalent to around 6% of all departures
- 163 flights were cancelled arriving into UK airports yesterday – equivalent to around 6% of all arrivals
- Heathrow saw the highest number of cancellations, followed by Manchester and Gatwick.
30 August (as of 9am):
- 30 flights have been cancelled departing UK airports so far today – equivalent to around 1% of all departures
- 34 flights have been cancelled arriving into UK airports so far today – equivalent to around 1% of all arrivals
- Heathrow has seen the highest number of cancellations, followed by Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
SWAPA announces nationwide picket
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) will be conducting its first-ever multi-base informational picket on Thursday, August 31 at noon local time at Baltimore Washington, Los Angeles International, Hartsfield Jackson International (Atlanta), Houston Hobby, and Chicago Midway airports.
SWAPA has been attempting to bargain in good faith with Southwest Airlines for more than three years, even filing for federal mediation in September of 2022. They are the last major airline without an agreement in principle and have lost hundreds of pilots to other carriers already this year.
This informational picket is being held to demonstrate the pilots’ frustration at still not having a contract after three-and-a-half years of negotiations
“Our pilots deserve a contract that befits the most productive pilots in the industry, and we have been attempting to get Southwest to realize that their delay in reaching an agreement is causing irreparable harm not just to our pilots, but to the airline itself. We are willing to take the RLA process all the way to its conclusion to ensure that our airline and our pilots have secure futures,” said SWAPA President Captain Casey Murray. “Southwest Airlines simply cannot afford to sit idly by while every other carrier continues to reward their pilots and lure them away with better contracts and benefits.”
After securing a 99% vote in favor of a strike back in May, the pilots of Southwest Airlines are ready to strike upon release from the National Mediation Board.
JetBlue arrives in Amsterdam
JetBlue Airways has expanded its presence to a third transatlantic destination with new, nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) on August 29.
Service from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Amsterdam will launch on September 20.
Amsterdam follows the airline’s successful launch of London service in August 2021 and Paris this past June.
Schedule between New York (JFK) and Amsterdam (AMS)
| Daily service starting August 29 (Eastbound) & August 30 (Westbound)*all times local | |
| JFK – AMS Flight #2288 | AMS – JFK Flight #2289 |
| 10:00 p.m. – 11:35 a.m. (+1) | 1:35 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. |
Flights will operate daily on JetBlue’s Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft with 24 redesigned Mint Suite® seats, 114 core seats and the sleek and spacious Airspace cabin interior. The A321 – offering the range of a wide-body but with the economics of a single-aisle aircraft — will allow JetBlue to effectively disrupt the market with the airline’s award-winning service and low fares on flights between the U.S. and Amsterdam.